Vatican Issues Vaccine Mandate for All Employees, Visitors

ROME, Italy — The Vatican has eliminated the possibility of employees presenting a negative coronavirus test to gain access to their place of work, insisting that only proof of vaccination or recovery from the coronavirus disease will be admitted.

A Vatican decree Thursday signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin states that the obligation of presenting a vaccine passport (Super Green Pass) to go to work applies to all personnel of the Roman Curia and institutions linked to the Holy See as well as external collaborators, visitors to the Vatican City State, and outside workers.

In a particularly severe paragraph, Cardinal Parolin declares that personnel without a valid green pass “will not be able to access the workplace and will be considered unjustifiably absent, with the consequent suspension of pay for the duration of the absence” and will be subject to the further consequences that such an absence would incur.

A Swiss Guard stands guard by St. Peter’s Basilica on May 18, 2020 in The Vatican (Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)

As of January 31, 2022, those who provide Vatican service in contact with the public must present “documentation proving the administration of the booster dose following the primary cycle of vaccination.”

The decree mentions no exemptions for conscientious objection based on moral considerations.

In its 2021 evaluation of the morality of taking the coronavirus vaccines, the Vatican’s doctrinal office (CDF) concluded that the vaccines are morally permissible but that the choice to receive or not receive the vaccine must be considered “voluntary.”

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